Wire tightening device



Patented Dec. 4, 1951 OFFICE 1 WIEE TIGHTENING DEVICE Burtis WilliamBenbow and Robert Stephen .Benbow, Benbow, Calif.

4 Application July 28, 1947-, Serial No. 764,130

2 Claims. (01. 140-117) This invention relates generally to devices fortightening wires, particularly wires or strands -A commonly experienceddifiiculty with wire fences is slackening or loosening of the horizontalwires or strands. A wide variety of devices have been proposed fortightening the wires, but because of various disadvantages they have notbeen widely used. I In order to afford a successful solution to thisproblem such a device should be of extreme simplicity with respect toits construction, cost of manufacture and mode of operation. The mode ofoperation should be such that no particular skill is required, andwhereby strands can be tightened with a minimum amount of time, withoutinjury to the wire, and. with positive retention after obtaining adesired degree of tightness.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a simple wiretightening device which will afford all of the advantages outlinedabove.

A further object of the invention is to provide a wire tightening devicewhich will afford a practical solution to the above problem,particularly with respect to simplicity and low cost of manufacture, andsimplicity and ease of operation.

A further object of the invention is to provide a novel tool for use incarrying out a wire tightening operation. Our tool is characterized bythe fact that it has means to enable positive gripping of the wire tothereby facilitate a tightening operation.

I Additional objects of the invention will appear from the followingdescription in which the preferred embodiment has been set forth indetail in conjunction with the accompanying drawing.

Referring to the drawing:

Figure 1 is a view showing a device incorporating the present invention,and looking toward the left hand side of Figure 2.

: Figure 2- is a plan view showing the same device as in Figure 1.

Figure 3 isa side view of the device lookin toward the right hand sideof Figure 2.

Figure 4 is a plan view like Figure 2 after a wire tightening operationand after removal of the winding tool.

Figure 5 is a side elevational view showing a novel form of tool for usewith the device of Figures 1 to 4 inclusive, and looking towardthe leftside of Figure 6 as indicated by line 5.

Figure 5 is a view of the tool shown in Figure 5, looking toward the endof the tool head.

Figure '7 is a side elevational view of the tool,

the portion 14 of the winding device.

2 partly in section, and showing the device of Figures 1 to 4 applied tothe same, as in the com:- rnencement of a wire tightening operation.

Figure 8 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line 88 of Figure 5.

Figure 9 is a view looking toward the end of the tool head and showingthe positioning of the parts at the commencement of a winding operation.

Figure 10 is a view like Figure 9 but showing a rotation of the toolhead counterclockwise through Figure 11 is a view like Figure 9 butshowing the positioning of the parts upon rotation of the 001 headthrough from the position of Figure 9.

The device as illustrated in Figures 1 to l inclusive consists of asingle length of material ofsuitable strength, such as galvanized steelwire of reasonable rigidity. This material is bent to provide a shankportion l0, an anchorage stud portion ll, an arm portion I2, and ahook-like portion 13. The shank and stud portions l0 and II are spacedapart to permit entrance of a wire to be tightened, and it is desirableto form stud ll .of a length substantially shorter than the length ofshank I9. The bent portion i i-which connects the portions ill and I I,is adapted to be engaged by a winding tool. Arm I2 extends substantiallyat right angles to the shank portion l0, and the hook portion 13 on theextremity of the arm portion l2 can be formed substantially asillustrated in Figures 1 and 3. As shown in these figures, portion I3 isbent in such a fashion that it is at an angle of say 15 or 20 to theplane of portions ID, II and I2. I

Figures 5 to 8 inclusive illustrate our preferred and novel winding toolfor use with the device of Figures 1 to 4 inclusive. This tool consistsof a head l6 provided with a slot I! for receiving A cranklike handle I8is provided to facilitate turning the tool about the axis of the headl6. For convenience the end of the tool remote from the head I6 can beprovided with a suitable handle (not shown) in alignment with the axisof the head. A metal sleeve I9 is rotatably mounted upon the head l6,and is provided with cam and wire engaging elements as will bepresentlydescribed. A helicoidal wire spring 20 is provided within thesleeve, and one end of this spring is anchored to the head'and the otherto the sleeve, whereby the sleeve is urged to rotate in one directionrelative to the head (clockwise as viewed in Figure 6). Rotation betweenthe sleeve and the head is limited by suitable means to an angle ofmovement of the order of say 90, thus as shown in Figure 8 a portion ofthe head is provided.

with a cut-away or flattened portion 2|, thus forming shoulders forengagement with the stop stud 22. Spring 20 is always under torsionaltension, but is of such strength that an operator may manually turn thesleeve 19 against the tension of the spring.

The forward end of the sleeve 19 is formed to provide the camming andwire gripping elements 23. These elements are disposed diametricallyopposite each other, and present concave forward faces 24 adapted toengage the side of a wire (Figure 9), and sloped cam surfaces 26.-'for apurpose to be presently described.

Operation of our tightening device and use of the novel tool describedabove, can be explained as follows: Assuming that it is desired totighten a wire strand of a fence, portion M of the winding device isinserted in the tool recess 11, and

Ya wire strand 2'! is positioned between the proj'ecting end of the studH and the shank 10,-substantially as shown in Figures 7 and 9. In orderto permit the wire to be placed between the portions it and II, it isnecessary for the operator to turn the sleeve 19 against the-tension ofthe spring 20, whereby after this sleeve is released elements 23 gripopposite sides of the wire '21, as illustrated in these figures. Afterthis grip has been established the tool remains virtually attached tothe wire, throughout the winding operation, and now the operator turnsthe tool a sufficient number of revolutions to tighten the wire to thedegree desired.

Turningof the tool through approximately 90 commences the wind asillustrated in Figure 10. It will be noted that the elements 23 havefollowed and remained in gripping engagement with the wire. Turning thetool through 180 from the initial position of Figure 9 causes a furtherbending of the wire as shown in Figure 11. that the elements 23 remainin gripping engagement with the wire and that the extending lengths ofthe wire are now in a position to be engaged by the cam surfaces 26during further turning of the tool.

Upon continuing turning of the tool beyond the position shown in Figure11, cam surfaces 26 direct the extending lengths of the Wire forwardlyof the head of the .tool, whereby the wire is directed to wind about theshank It in adjacent convolutions. At the end of the winding operationand assuming that the strand of the fence has been tightened, theportionI3 is enremaining side by side convolutions 29 are formed around theshank l0. "Thus the camming action of elements 23 properly guides theconvolutions upon the shank 10 after completing the first loop about theend of anchoring stud I I. Also the grip of elements 23 upon the wireserves to initially retain the tool relative to the wire so that thefirst loop 23 is properly applied about the end Note of stud II, andserves to retain the winding device in operative position within thetool for the remainder of the winding operation. At the end of thewinding operation it is a simple matter to remove the tool by manualturning of the sleeve 19 against the tension of the spring 20 for asufficient distance to release the elements 23 from the: wire. I

The present application is a continuation in part of our co-pendingapplication Serial No. 739,374, filed April 4, 1947 (now abandoned).Reference is also made to our co-pending application Serial No. 178,146,filed August 7, 1950, as claiming subject matter disclosed but notclaimed herein.

We claim:

1. A tool for use in conjunction with a wire tightening device of thetype comprising a body having a winding shank and adapted to be turnedabout an axis to wind up a length of wire upon the same; said toolcomprising ahead having a recess adapted to receive a portion ofthe'winding device, crank means serving to mount the head for turningmovement about the axis "of the same, a sleeve rotatively carried by thehead for turning movement about the axis of the head and relative to thesame, means serving to limit rotation of the sleeve relative to the headbetween limiting positions,'spring means acting between the sleeve andthe head and serving to urge'the sleeve 'to turn in one directionrelative to the head, and wire holding elements formed on one end of thesleeve and adapted to engageopposite sides of a length of wire to holdthe same when the wire is placed in operating positionrelative to thewinding device, said spring acting to urge the wire holding elements ina direction to engage and hold the wire.

2. A tool as in claim 1 in which said elements are formed to provide camfaces adapted to engage the wire in a winding operation to direct theconvolutions of. the wire, on the Winding shank.

BURTIS WILLIAM BENBOW. v ROBERT STEPHEN BENBOW.

REFERENCES CITED Thefollowing references are of record in the file ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 134,355 7 Burch Dec. 31, 1872400,606 Scott Apr. 2, 1889 852,216 Bowman Apr. 30, 1907 898,912 NellerSept. 15, 1908 974,121 Case Nov. 1, 1910 1,061,367 Geils May 13, 19131,326,766 Moore Dec. 30, 1919 1,789,891 Alke Jan. 20, 1931 1,845,951Worsham 1 Feb. 16, 1932 2,068,176 Hendrick Jan. 19, 1937 2,086,317 HuntJuly :6, 1937 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country 'Date B 515,661 GermanyJan.9, 1931 OTHER REFERENCES American Machinist, page 103, August 19,1943.

